Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

Liz Weston

Wednesday’s need-to-know money news

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: What your credit score doesn’t say about your finances. Also in the news: Putting yourself on a money diet, financial lessons to master before 40, and what to do if you actually win tonight’s Powerball jackpot.

4 Things Your Credit Score Doesn’t Say About You
What isn’t revealed.

How to Put Yourself on a Money Diet
Getting in financial shape.

8 personal finance lessons you must master by age 40
Putting yourself in a better position for retirement.

What to Do with the Money If You Actually Win Tonight’s Powerball Jackpot
After you stop screaming.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: The most important number in your financial life. Also in the news: How to get the most from a balance transfer credit card, how to build up your emergency fund, and how to audit your financial products.

The 5 Most Important Numbers in Your Financial Life
The numbers you need to know.

7 Ways to Get the Most From a Balance Transfer Credit Card
Tips to keep mind.

5 Tips to Build Up an Emergency Fund This Year
Easy tricks to fill up your emergency fund.

How to Audit Your Financial Products
Making sure your financial products are truly working for you.

One Absolute Must For Everyone Who Has An Aging Parent With Memory Problems
Protecting your parents from financial disaster.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

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download (1)Today’s top story: How to put an end to credit card solicitations. Also in the news: How a two checking account system could help automate your budget, how to maximize your pension, and five surprising sources of debt.

How to Stop Credit Card Solicitations for Good
Reclaiming your mailbox.

Use the Two Checking Account System to Automate Your Budget
Why two accounts could make budgeting easier.

Maximize Your Pension With This Calculator
Calculating the best option for your retirement.

5 Surprising Sources of Debt
Racking up debt from unexpected sources.

Q&A: Social Security and marriage

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Dear Liz: My partner is 69 and receives about $800 monthly from Social Security. I am 66 and receive about $1,100 from Social Security. We are not married but have been living as such for the past 10 years. We own our home together. Does it make sense financially for us to marry?

Answer: When one of you dies, the survivor will have to get by on one Social Security check. If you were married, it would be the larger of the two checks you received as a couple. Unmarried survivors keep their own checks and lose their partners’ benefits, even if the partners’ benefits were larger.

One reason not to marry would be if either of you qualified for spousal benefits based on a previous marriage, and those benefits were greater than what you’re receiving now. Many people don’t realize that divorced people can receive spousal benefits based on an ex’s work record, as long as the marriage lasted at least 10 years and the ex is at least 62. Divorced spousal benefits end, however, when the recipient remarries.

Divorced people who were married at least 10 years also may qualify for survivor benefits if their exes have died. Unlike spousal benefits, however, survivor benefits can continue if the recipient remarries after reaching the age of 60.

Q&A: Invest or pay down mortgage?

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Dear Liz: I usually finish the month with $1,000 to $2,000 left over after expenses to invest. My savings are with a money manager who has conservatively invested in a diversified portfolio. Given the uncertainty of the market, does it make any sense for me to start using that monthly excess to pay down the balance on my 15-year mortgage rather than continue to invest? The mortgage has about 91/2 years to go with a balance of just under $75,000. One added point: I would like to retire in about five years.

Answer: It’s time to talk to a fee-only financial planner who can review your entire financial situation and offer personalized advice. The planner can give you a better idea if you’re really on track to retire within five years. If you are, then paying down the mortgage may be an excellent use of the money. Having a paid-off home will reduce your monthly expenses, which in turn can reduce how much of your retirement funds you’ll need to tap.

Before you prepay a mortgage, though, you should make sure all your other financial ducks are in a row. In addition to saving enough for retirement, you should have paid off all your other debt, accumulated a decent emergency fund (at least six months’ worth of expenses) and be properly insured.

Q&A: Using Roth IRA earnings for a first-time home purchase

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Dear Liz: My 29-year-old son recently married, and as a gift I pledged $20,000 as a down payment on a house. My daughter-in-law is beginning a career as a registered nurse and I know they will not be buying for a few years. Is there any type of account that will grow tax-free or tax-deferred for a first-time buyer? Maybe I could gift this money to them into a retirement account for the time being?

Answer: You may be able to give them enough money to fund Roth IRA accounts for both 2015 and 2016. They would be able to withdraw those contributions tax- and penalty-free at any time in the future for whatever purpose they wanted.

Withdrawing earnings from a Roth can trigger taxes and penalties, but that’s not likely to be an issue in this case. Each person is allowed to withdraw up to $10,000 in Roth earnings for a first-time home purchase. If they plan to buy a home within a few years, it’s highly unlikely that your gift would generate enough earnings to cause concern.

The ability to contribute to a Roth begins to phase out for married couples filing jointly at modified adjusted gross income of $183,000 in 2015 and $184,000 in 2016. Assuming their incomes were below those limits, they each can contribute up to $5,500 per year to a Roth. The deadline for making 2015 contributions is April 15, 2016. If you give them the money now, they could fund two years’ worth of contributions at once.